Karela United welcome fellow relegation battlers Young Apostles to the Aliu Mahama Sports Stadium on Sunday.
The Pride and Passion find themselves under immense pressure heading into the penultimate round, sitting 15th with 35 points, three adrift of 14th-placed Basake Holy Stars. Last weekend’s narrow 1-0 defeat to Vision FC marked their second loss in five matches (W2, D1), leaving Nurudeen Amadu’s men with little room for error in their bid to escape the drop.
Karela’s major shortcoming has been their goal-scoring woes, with just 22 goals scored in 32 matches , the joint-lowest tally in the league. However, their defensive discipline has offered some balance, conceding only 26 goals so far. Encouragingly, they have shown strong form at home in recent months, going unbeaten in their last ten matches in Tamale (W6, D3, L1). Yet, despite that resilience, they rank as the second-weakest home side overall this season , an issue they must address if they are to take all three points on Sunday.
Young Apostles head to Tamale with a renewed sense of purpose after a crucial 3-1 victory over fourth-placed Heart of Lions last weekend. That result lifted the Wenchi-based outfit to 12th with 40 points, five clear of the relegation zone with two games remaining. Despite boasting just 24 goals and conceding 32, their recent win may prove a turning point in a campaign marked by inconsistency.
The Apostles’ away form, however, has been a major concern. Since their shock 2-1 win over title-chasing Nations FC back in February, they have failed to win in seven consecutive matches (D1, L6), making the trip to Tamale a daunting one. Nevertheless, with survival not yet mathematically secured, they’ll be desperate to avoid defeat and edge closer to safety.
Sunday’s clash marks the first-ever Premier League meeting between the two sides in Tamale following Young Apostles’ promotion this season.
